The world's first Adi Shiva Linga is found in the Gupteshwar Mahadev Temple in Mandleshwar on the banks of the Rewa River. This temple is considered to be the oldest Shiva temple in the world and has been described in detail in the Puranas. Legend has it that a pindi (upper part of the Shiva... Continue Reading →
Situated on the western bank of the sacrosanct Ganga River in Varanasi is the grand temple of Kashi Vishwanath. As the name suggests, this ancient temple is dedicated to Vishwanatha or Vishweshwara meaning 'Ruler of the Universe' and is the first and only Jyotirlinga located on the banks of the Ganges. Varanasi also known... Continue Reading →
Three temples that have existed since the ancient times in Varanasi are Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Maa Annapurna Devi Mandir and Durga Kund Mandir. A visit to Varanasi is deemed complete only after one offers prayers at the Durga Kund Mandir, better known as the Monkey Temple (because of the number of monkeys that reside here).... Continue Reading →
The Narmada Parikrama, a 3500-km journey that starts near the Arabian Sea in Gujarat takes one to the origin of the Narmada River at Amarkantak. Known as Amarkuta in Kalidasa's Meghaduta, Amarkantak has been mentioned in the Hindu scriptures as a mountain of incalculable sanctity. Amarkantak is one of the most frequented places of pilgrimage in... Continue Reading →
One of the most interesting and lesser-known temples of Varanasi is the centuries-old Karkotak Nageshwar Mahadev Temple located in Nag Kuan Mohalla in Jaitpura. Also known locally as Nag Kund or Nag Koopa or Nag Kuam, this ancient temple literally means well of serpents. Interestingly, the Karkotak Nageshwar Mahadev Linga remains submerged under water... Continue Reading →
One of the most exotic places along the Narmada River is Junaraj, located in the Satpura Range, in the catchment area of Karjan Dam. This reservoir project is built on the Karjan River, a left-bank tributary of the sacrosanct Rewa River and surrounded by the dense forests of Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. Junaraj is the... Continue Reading →
One of the most interesting temples of Varanasi that is rarely frequented by any because of the legends associated with it is the Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple at Scindia Ghat. Scindia Ghat was built by the Scindia (Shinde) dynasty who played an important role in the Maratha ascendency. This temple is located north of the Manikarnika... Continue Reading →
One of the most outstanding examples of iconography along the Rewa River (Narmada River) is the Datta Guru Temple also known as Garudeshwar Datta Mandir in Garudeshwar village. Garudeswar village lies to the south of Tilakwada and east of Rajpipla and is a part of the important Narmada Parikrama. Thousands of devotees walk barefoot visiting... Continue Reading →
'Poetry in stone' best describes the ancient Virateshwar Temple in Shahdol district renowned for its religious and spiritual potency. As the name suggests, Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Virateshwar, an embodiment of the entire gamut of creation. According to the priest and locals, the mere darshan of Lord Virateshwar helps one to experience the Supreme... Continue Reading →
One of the most important tirthasthalas along the Rewa River is the ancient temple of Kuber Bhandari Shiva in Karnali village. People often stop over at the 'City of Temples', Chandod located at the Triveni Sangam of Saraswati, Narmada and Orsang rivers before proceeding to Kuber Bhandari Temple by boat. Legend has it that Lord... Continue Reading →
One of the finest examples of the Post Gupta period is the Kherat brick temples located in the sleepy village of Kherat in Bhind district. According to historians, Bhind region has been mentioned in both the Ramayana and Mahabharat wherein it is believed that Lord Rama spent a great deal of time here during his... Continue Reading →
Our search for the holiest shrines along the Rewa River (Narmada River) takes us to the charming village of Shuklatirth located about 16 km from Bharuch. Not many are aware that Shuklatirth village located on the bank of the Narmada River is one of the most sacrosanct places in the world. Shuklatirth derives its... Continue Reading →
The ancient city of Bharuch (Broach) located at the mouth of the holy Rewa River (Narmada River) derives its name from the exemplary tapasvi Bhirgu Maharshi. Not many are aware that the Rewa River is in fact older than the Ganga and deemed to be immensely sacrosanct. The spiritual potency of this river is discernible... Continue Reading →
"The place of Baji Rao I in India's history comes home to us with unmistakable force and vividness when we compare the political situation of this country in 1740 with that in 1720. These twenty years of his active career witnessed a complete revolution in the character of the Maratha national state and an entire... Continue Reading →
An exquisite 19th century terracotta temple commonly known as the ‘temple in the bazaar’ holds its own in the busy marketplace of Hath-tala (Hathtala) in Illambazaar. This temple draws the interest of visitors from across states for its unusual octagonal shape and stunning terracotta carvings. Hath-tala Gauranga Mahaprabhu Temple is one of the many temples... Continue Reading →
The charming village of Ghurisha, once an important seat of Sanskrit and literature is dotted with many fine examples of terracotta temples built in the traditional Bengali style of chala and ratna. The temples of Ghurisha and surrounding villages have been documented at length by Mukul Dey of Shantiniketan and David McCutchion. One of the most interesting... Continue Reading →
The Durga Temple in the quaint village of Bali Deewanganj (widely believed to be two villages – Bali and Deewanganj) is one of a kind temple harmoniously incorporating two distinctive styles of Bengali temple architecture namely the chala (hut type roof) and the ratna (pinnacle). This temple has captured the interest of architects, historians and heritage enthusiasts for two reasons... Continue Reading →
Undivided Bengal, often considered to be the richest province in Akhanda Bharat thrived under the patronage of the invaders namely the Delhi Sultanate, Mughals and the British. This province gradually imbibed the culture, language and religious norms of the invaders. Though the Mughals were less than pleased with Hindus and Hindu kings and went out of... Continue Reading →
Two groups of brick temples, Kalpa Devi and Astika Baba located close to each other in Nasirabad village in the historical district of Sitapur bearing striking similarities to the brick temples built during the Gupta period have captured the interest of architects, archaeologists and historians for decades. There are remains of as many as six... Continue Reading →
Karnal named after Daanveer Karna is one of the most historically, culturally and spiritually important cities of India. Karnal has been at the centre of many great battles and wars that have determined the course of Indian history. Karnal district is home to many archaeological sites predating the Harappan civilization, tirthas and ancient temples of... Continue Reading →
Mayurbhanj in the northern corner of Odisha was the seat of power of the erstwhile Bhanja dynasty. During the late 14th century, the Delhi Sultanate invaded Odisha and ravaged the historical city of Khiching desecrating temples on their way. The Bhanjas were forced to abandon their ancestral capital of Khiching and flee to safety. An... Continue Reading →
A stunning find of a fragmentary stone inscription in an old well near Kandhar in 1959 with a detailed description of the buildings in the ancient capital and the philanthropic activities of Raja Krishna III of the mighty Rashtrakuta dynasty threw light on one of the unknown capitals of the dynasty. The inscription mentions the... Continue Reading →
One of the oldest temples of the Konkan coastal stretch is the Ambernath Shiv Temple located at Ambernath about 50 km from Mumbai. Ambernath literally means Lord of the Sky or Space and interestingly, this temple does not have a roof over the sanctum sanctorum! Locals believe that the presiding deity may have been named... Continue Reading →
The holy city of Pehowa in Kurukshetra district is held in high esteem by historians, archaeologists and spiritualists. This city finds mention in Hindu scriptures (several Puranas) and is believed to be named after the legendary Chakravarti Prithu. Chakravarti Prithu is credited with saving the earth from famine in the ancient times. This divine... Continue Reading →
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